September Satyananda Yoga and Meditation weekend retreat with Tadhg Ferriter

Summary of September Satyananda yoga weekend retreat

This retreat consists of an inviting and uplifting timetable over the weekend of

classes by very experienced yoga and meditation teacher Tadhg Ferriter

introduction to meditation and deepening of your practice

breathing practices and breath awareness

Yoga Nidra deep relaxation

Satyananda yoga classes

delicious vegetarian meals

comfortable accommodation at the centre

guided outing on Saturday by an experienced guide

sample local cuisine at one of the local restaurants or cafes

enjoy meeting like minded people in this relaxed friendly environment

Treat yourself to a stress free weekend of energizing yoga, calming meditation, relaxing yoga nidra, amazing vegetarian food, and outdoor walks in the hills and by the sea.

An ideal weekend to let go of the stresses and strains of everyday life and to let go into a very peaceful and tranquil environment with a gifted teacher and share some time with like minded people.

Who this September Satyananda yoga retreat is suitable for

This retreat will be reasonably gentle and is suitable for all ages and all levels of fitness, but will also challenge each person to work with the postures to their own ability.

Arrival on Friday 20th September 2013

Time

Activity

5:30 – 7:00 pm

Arrival & Registration

7:00 pm

Dinner

8:00 – 8:30 pm

Karma Yoga

9:00 pm

Introduction to the retreat

9:15 – 10:00 pm

Breathwork and Yoga Nidra deep relaxation

Saturday’s timetable

Time

Activity

7:30 – 9:00 am

Satyananda yoga class

9:15 – 9:45 am

Meditation including intro for beginners

9:45 am

Breakfast

10:30 am

Karma yoga

11:15 – 2:00 pm

Outdoor trip into the Burren

2:00 pm

Lunch at local restaurant or cafe

4:00 pm

Approx return to centre

4:00 – 5:00 pm

Free Time

5:00 – 6:30 pm

Satyananda Yoga Class

7:00 pm

Dinner

7:45 – 8:15 pm

Karma yoga

8:00 – 9:00 pm

Free time

9:00 – 9:30 pm

Meditation

Close of retreat on Sunday 22nd September 2013

Time

Activity

7:30 – 9:00 am

Satyananda yoga class

9:15 – 9:45 am

Meditation including intro for beginners

9:45 am

Breakfast

10:30 am

Karma yoga

12:00 – 13:00 pm

Satyananda Yoga class and Q&A

13:00 pm

Lunch

13:30 am

Karma yoga

14:00 pm

Depart

Instructor Bio Tadhg Ferriter

Tadhg Ferriter is in his mid forties, and practised from many yoga styles before discovering Satyananda yoga in the mid 90’s. Like many students of yoga he was first attracted to the relaxing benefits the postures brought to the busy lifestyle and demanding career path he found himself on.

Tadhg completed his training as a Satyananda teacher with Swami ShraddhaMurti and Swami ChetanMurti in Galway in the mid 1990’s.

Since then he continues to study with great teachers in Ireland and abroad taking courses in Meditation, Yoga Therapy and Ashram Life in France, Wales, India and Greece and the resulting clarity he has achieved in his teaching shows in the way he understands and connects with his own students.

Description of September Satyananda Yoga retreat

There is a lightness and a sense of fun to Tadhg’s approach giving us an example of working through difficult things in life with ease, gentleness, softness.

Who is this September weekend retreat suitable for

This weekend eco yoga retreat is suitable for complete beginners as well as advanced people.

It is suitable for those who prefer a more traditional approach to yoga and a more gentle approach than Ashtanga.

Satyananda Yoga is suited to anyone who is looking for an integrated approach to their physical, mental, and spiritual development.

Satyananda Yoga® classes are balanced between physical postures (asana), breathing (pranayama) and meditation practices. Working with the awareness is emphasised right from the start. Satyananda Yoga is suitable for people of all ages, sizes, and physical abilities.

This course is reasonably gentle and includes • breath work • some gentle postures • some more challenging postures (variations will be given to beginners) • salutation to the sun • Yoga Nidra deep relaxation • Meditation

Tadhg gives instructions appropriate for each individual.

The goal of the course is to ensure you have a genuine Satyananda yoga experience, covering a range of practices some unique to the Satyananda system with a view to using them, and benefiting from them in your life.

Some come along to this course to deepen their existing yoga practice, others will be starting out. Tadhg’s clear approach is suitable for all. ‘Even if you are an experienced practitioner of a different tradition there will be plenty in this course to challenge and encourage you.’

Students engaging in the beautiful practice of Trataka – The word Trataka means ‘to look’ or ‘to gaze’.

It is both an uplifting meditation practice and a cleansing practice and it acts as stepping stone between physically oriented practices and mental practices which lead to higher states of awareness.

Tadhg takes care that everyone is practicing them at a level suitable for their body.

There is no competition or comparison between people within Satyananda yoga, and Tadhg ensures that everyone is comfortable practicing to their own level.

Some of the postures Tadhg teaches are reasonable gentle, while others are more challenging, energizing and invigorating.

Each class has a measured balance of postures, and also some classes include meditation or other specific practices for calming and taming the mind.

As usual on our eco yoga retreats, Dave will take the group out on a guided outing into the Burren hills or by the sea. This is a great way to get to see some special places in the Burren well away from the usual tourist places.

Followed by lunch at one of the local restaurants or cafes which is a great way to sample the best of the locale cuisine in the Burren.

Tadhg works carefully and sensitively on the teacher – student relationship, and the practice it nourishes.

Balance practices are also useful for taming the mind.

Swami Satyananda describes yoga as “a higher form of common sense, a pure and precise science which evolves from within. To live yoga is to be in harmony with oneself.”

On Friday evening and Saturday evening Paddi who used to run Seventh Heaven restaurant for over 12 years, prepares a vegetarian feast and many people have said they have not eaten food as good as this at any restaurant.

Many people nowadays practice physical yoga, but many are seeking out good meditation teachers to introduce meditation to them, and to help them explore the heartfelt practice of yoga to a deeper level.

Sitting together after asana practice – magical moments of total peace and tranquility in touch with your whole being, with only the sounds of the birds as a soft Burren back-drop.

For the meditation is it important to find a comfortable position and Tadhg helps you find a posture and the suitable props (meditation stool, meditation cushion, blocks, blankets) which work best for your body.

While asana (yoga postures) of appropriate strength for the each individual student are important for progressing, the use of Pranayma (work with the Breath) and meditation are also considered necessary to address the whole being from an early stage in the Satyananda system.

One big difference between attending regular weekly yoga classes and going away on a weekend yoga retreat is that being in a yoga environment allows one break away from the normal life patterns and responsibilities which in turn allows one to experience the practices and their effects to a deeper level in more tranquil surroundings.

There is also a lightness and a sense of fun to Tadhg’s approach giving us an example of working through difficult things in life with ease, gentleness, softness. Not a being a pushover to others, but not confronting others and life like a concrete wall. When a teacher has a sense of authentic (not pretend!) fun about them, everybody can feel this. It sets everyone at ease. When we’re at ease, it’s easier to go inside, to be inspired by our own selves.